Kirk Cousins not focusing on Hail Mary as Michigan State football prepares for Wisconsin rematch

Tuesday

Nov 29, 2011 at 12:01 AMNov 29, 2011 at 12:39 AM

Kirk Cousins is not thinking too much about his “Hail Mary” that decided the first meeting between the Michigan State and Wisconsin football teams.

The rematch is next — in the inaugural Big Ten championship game Saturday night in Indianapolis. Kickoff is 8:17 p.m.

The past is just that, MSU’s quarterback from Holland said Monday during a conference call with reporters.

Staff and wire reports

Kirk Cousins is not thinking too much about his “Hail Mary” that decided the first meeting between the Michigan State and Wisconsin football teams.

The rematch is next — in the inaugural Big Ten championship game Saturday night in Indianapolis. Kickoff is 8:17 p.m.

The past is just that, MSU’s quarterback from Holland said Monday during a conference call with reporters.

“I’m going to be very analytical more so than emotional. That’s who I am. I’ll look at the film of (the 37-31 win against Wisconsin) to get better,” Cousins said. “If I go back to that ‘Hail Mary’ it will be because I want to be prepared for the same situation if one comes again. I won’t let the emotion of the previous game get in the way.”

Cousins heaved a pass that deflected and bounced into the arms of Michigan State wide receiver Keith Nichol, who wrestled it over the goal line.

After a replay review ruled in Michigan State’s favor, the Spartans were celebrating a wild last-second victory.

Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema remembers it well but said the Badgers won’t be using revenge as their motivation.

“Michigan State earned that victory,” Bielema said. “Obviously, they scored more points than we did and were able to execute at the end of the game in a way that gave them a victory. And our kids have to take that and learn from it.”
Saturday’s winner likely plays in the Rose Bowl.

For Michigan State, it is a chance to go to Pasadena after being shut out of the BCS last season.

“We felt like we were the odd man out, felt like we, at the very least, should have gone to a BCS game,” Spartans coach Mark Dantonio said. “We played a tough schedule. There were all those things that were documented or whatever, we talked about last year. So we were sort of the odd man out. But in retrospect, we didn’t play at that level when we had a chance to play in the Capital One bowl game, so that ended the discussion as far as I was concerned.”

Michigan State (10-2, 7-1 Big Ten) clinched the Big Ten Legends division early. Wisconsin (10-2, 6-2) had to beat Penn State on Saturday to claim the Leaders division on a tiebreaker and secure a spot in the title game.

That means the Big Ten’s powerhouse programs — Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Nebraska — all will be watching from home Saturday.

“You can’t erase the history that those four schools have had,” Bielema said. “But history is in history books. We try to focus on the now, what’s in the newspapers today. And I really respect and admire everything about what we’ve done here at Wisconsin, and the same thing could be said there at Michigan State.”

Dantonio said it’s natural for programs to fluctuate over the years, and he believes he has Michigan State on the upswing.

“Right now, Michigan State is moving in the direction that we want it to move,” Dantonio said. “It’s not an end deal yet, I don’t think we’ve accomplished our ultimate goal yet. But we’re very, very close and we’re very excited about the opportunity to be able to do that.”